From Engnyte to MS SharePoint Online: A Successful Migration to Improve Data Security and Management

Info Setronica | April 3rd, 2023

Setronica’s team migrated the client’s data to Microsoft SharePoint Online, Azure and Azure DevOps stack, saving fees, improving collaboration and security with role-based access control.

The Client

Founded in 2011, the client’s company has carved out a niche for itself as a pioneer in the healthcare financing solutions sector. Its forward-thinking approach, coupled with its practical and innovative strategies, has cemented its position as an industry leader. As the world strives to achieve universal health coverage in low- and middle-income countries, the company has risen to the challenge by providing specialised support to help countries achieve this goal. Its team of highly skilled systems practitioners comes from diverse backgrounds and works closely with each country to develop tailored solutions that meet their unique needs. By focusing on the values, capacities and political realities of each nation, the company’s approach transcends global models or ideologies to deliver effective solutions.

To secure B2G contracts locally, the company’s staff scour Asia, Africa, the Americas and Europe for potential contractors. Africa, however, presents a unique set of challenges, given that 70% of the company’s workforce is based there. These include the rampant theft of laptops, the installation of pirated software, viruses and malware, all of which the company must combat to keep its operations secure.

Our Сhallenges

The first challenge was to migrate from the Egnyte system to the Microsoft SharePoint Online, Azure, and Azure DevOps stack. This migration would save the foundation money on Egnyte fees. Additionally, Microsoft offers discounts on their stack to charities like our client.

The second challenge was to configure access using a role-based model to increase security. The existing model allowed everyone to access everything, and our team identified a need to implement a more secure system that would allow employees to access only the information and resources they need to do their job.

Lastly, the client’s needed to implement measures to reduce email spam and protect against malware. The lack of a security-focused approach left the organization exposed and at risk, especially with the growing trend of cyber threats in the region.

Solutions

We overcame the first challenge by securely migrating all data from Egnyte to MS SharePoint Online within six months without any loss or damage. This not only resulted in cost savings for the foundation, as MS SharePoint is more cost-effective, but also improved collaboration among employees with its advanced tools for working together on documents and projects.

To address the second challenge, we enhanced the role-based model for SharePoint to meet ISO/IEC 27001 security standards, implementing strict access controls that restrict employee access to only the resources required for their job duties. This not only improves overall security but also protects against potential breaches. Additionally, we implemented an automatic script that assigns new employees to their appropriate OneDrive account upon onboarding, based on their role, location, and software requirements. This automation has significantly reduced the time required for onboarding new employees.

Lastly, we addressed the third challenge by implementing three layers of antivirus protection, effectively reducing the amount of spam and malware that the foundation’s employees were exposed to. This has greatly improved the security and reliability of our email and file-sharing systems. Additionally, we implemented a remote data deletion script to combat laptop theft, resulting in a 50% reduction in incidents.

The Team

• Security Officer
• SharePoint Developer
• Two technical support engineers
• Project manager on the client side

The Results

Seamless Data Migration: Egnyte to MS Sharepoint in 6 Months Cuts Costs and Boosts Collaboration for Organization

We successfully migrated all data from Egnyte to MS Sharepoint within 6 months, ensuring that all data was securely transferred without any loss or damage. This migration has not only reduced ongoing costs, but also enabled better collaboration among employees due to MS SharePoint’s more robust tools for document and project collaboration.

Revamped Role-Based Model for Sharepoint Ensures ISO/IEC 27001 Compliance and Tightened Access Controls for Enhanced Security

Furthermore, we revamped the role-based model for Sharepoint to comply with ISO/IEC 27001 security standards, implementing strict access controls to ensure that employees only have access to the resources they need to perform their job duties. This helps to improve overall security and protect against potential breaches.

Successful Transfer of 5 Million Files with Versioning Information to OneDrive Enhances Collaboration and Efficiency for Employees

We successfully transferred over 5 million files to OneDrive, including important versioning information, without any data loss or corruption, despite the transfer involving a massive 2 terabytes of information. The average file size was approximately 500kb, which made the transfer particularly challenging, but our team completed the task within the established timeline. The transfer to OneDrive has enabled more efficient access and sharing of files, allowing employees to collaborate more effectively and efficiently.

Efficient Onboarding of New Employees Achieved through Automated OneDrive Account Connection and Software Installation Script

We also implemented an automatic script that connects new employees directly to their appropriate OneDrive account upon onboarding, based on their role, location, and software requirements. The role model takes into account specific factors such as office location, geography, and software needs, which ensures that new employees are automatically given access to the appropriate resources without requiring manual intervention.

This automation has drastically reduced the time spent onboarding new employees. Previously, it could take anywhere from 1 to 6 hours (almost a full day) to install remote desktop software such as Dameware, antivirus, and Vandrive, as well as manually assign access to specific groups. With the new automated installation script, the process takes only 5-30 minutes, saving valuable time and resources for both employees and IT personnel.

Three-layer Antivirus Protection Reduces Email Spam by 90%

We have taken measures to significantly reduce email spam by implementing three layers of antivirus protection. As a result, the spam rate has decreased by a factor of 10, from 20% down to just 2%.

The first layer is the MS Exchange self-learning filter, which identifies and filters out emails that are likely to be spam or phishing attempts. This filter uses machine learning to continually improve its accuracy and reduce the number of false positives.

The second layer is the ESET Cloud Office Security, which checks all incoming and outgoing emails for viruses and spam. It also checks files stored on OneDrive and SharePoint sites, ensuring that all documents are clean and safe to access.

The third layer is the antivirus software installed on all corporate laptops, which is centrally managed through cloud policy. This ensures that all laptops are up-to-date with the latest virus definitions and security patches, reducing the risk of malware infections and other security threats.

By implementing these three layers of protection, we have significantly reduced the amount of spam and malware that our employees are exposed to, making our email and file-sharing systems more secure and reliable.

Company’s Streamlined Onboarding Process and Tech Security Measures Result in Zero Daily Tech Support Requests

Our efforts have also led to a significant reduction in the workload of tech support team, from an average of 500 requests per day down to 0. This is thanks to our streamlined onboarding process, which reduces the time required for new employees to get up and running, as well as our three-pronged approach to reducing spam, preventing laptop theft, and remotely deleting data on compromised machines.

To Combat Laptop Theft, Remote Data Deletion Script Reduces Incidents by 96% over Two Years

To address the issue of laptop theft, we have implemented a remote data deletion script, which is triggered when a stolen laptop is connected to the internet. The script uses Bitlocker to return Windows to a baseline state and securely deletes all corporate data on the machine. As a result, in two years across Africa, only 5 laptops out of 200 employees have been stolen, which represents just 4% of all corporate laptops.

Setronica successfully overcame a range of complex challenges. We migrated all data securely, revamped the role-based model for SharePoint, implemented an automatic script for onboarding new employees, and added three layers of antivirus protection to comply with ISO/IEC 27001 security standards. These solutions resulted in significant cost savings, improved collaboration, enhanced security, and efficient onboarding.

At Setronica, we understand the importance of secure data and efficient operations for businesses to focus on their core functions. With our team of experts, you can trust that your data is safe and your operations are running smoothly. Our customized IT solutions are designed to address the unique needs of your business, and we are always eager to take on new projects and opportunities. Let us partner with you to enhance your business’s efficiency, security, and success.

Let’s start building something great together!

Contact us today to discuss your project and see how we can help bring your vision to life. To learn about our team and expertise, visit our ‘About Us‘ webpage.

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